Welcome to the Friesian Product Review! This feature allows Friesian owners the chance to share their experiences with various products commonly used with the breed. With luck, this will provide viewers with a reliable database of testimonials, so that they can make an informed decision on what products to buy for their Friesian horse.
Please remember: these are opinions only, and are bound to vary between the experiences of individuals. It is up to each person to decide what is best for his or her horse, and none of these reviews, especially in regards to health products are a replacement for professional opinion.
Coat Enhancers
A note to Friesian owners about coat enhancers: it is illegal to use black dyes or any artifical colorant applied directly to the hair or skin to blacken your horse for registry Inspections. Also, some coat-darkening supplements may include ingredients which are considered illegal (usually due to the way they are read by drug tests) by some horse show rules. As a result, you may want to look into the rules of your show associations and the ingredients of possible supplments before administering them.
Black-As-Knight
5 stars, 1st hand experience
“I have used Black-As-Knight for two years and have had great results. Granted if you leave a black horse out in the sun all day in Florida, during the Summer, nothing will keep them from fading.Its not a good idea to leave them out in the sun everyday during the summer they will overheat. I increase the amount I use, during the summer,(check recommendations on tub)because I want my black horses to be black. Also, sweat will fade the black horse, so I rinse them off. Lastly, I bathe my Friesians every two weeks, but if it is really hot I will rinse them more often. All these factors together will improve your Friesian’s black coat. I don’t want a bay Friesian. ”
Review by: Sharon
2 stars, 1st hand experience
“My mare faded out badly this summer and I have been using this product since the middle of June – it is now the middle of October. I have used 2 very heaping tablespoons twice a day and I have seen no change in her hair color until her winter coat started coming in. While this product smells yummy, it does not work for the fading of a black coat.”
Review by: tp
2 stars, 1st hand experience
“I feed this supplement at the rate of 2 tablespoons with both morning and evening feed for five months before my horse started shedding. I noticed no difference in his coat condition, or mane, tail or hoof. Overall, I saw no health benefits and he still bleached out this summer, even on night turn out. Maybe I could have maxed out the dosage and tried it for a year…but I didn’t see the point.”
Review by: H.Marie
Hair Care
EQyss Survivor
Bottled liquid detangler and hair shine/gloss product. “Alcohol free, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly.” Made by EQyss.
5 stars, 1st hand experience
“I used Survivor on my boy for about 6 months (after using other products) and gained about 3 inches in mane and forelock growth as well as more lush hair. Smells great too, and worked well just before braiding!”
Review by: Susan
Shapley’s Mane Tail Groom (M-T-G)
Bottled topical treatment for Fungus, Rain Rot, Girth Itch, Scratches, Dermatitis, Tail Rubbing, Short/Thin Tail, Tail Conditioning, Tail Lengthening, Dry Skin. Made by Shapley’s.
4 stars, 1st hand experience
“I use this as part of my Friesian’s regular grooming regimen on his fetlocks. It keeps the hair soft and tangle-free, promotes growth and, because of it’s anti fungal properties, hopefully it’s discouraging scratches! The oiliness also helps to loosen any dirt, burs and crud from the hairs and leg. I’ve noticed he seems to scratch at his legs less when kept on this product,too.
Occasionally I’ll use it in his mane and tail, but only at the base/roots for dandruff control and to promote new growth. Once I tried another product in his mane that he turned out to be allergic to. He broke out in scruf all down his neck the next day. I used M-T-G lightly in his mane and by the following day the scruf was all almost cleared up!The down side is it smells like beef jerky, but the stuff works!”Review by: H.Marie
5 stars, 1st hand experience
“This product is great for Friesian mane and tail hair growth. I certainly saw a difference after using it on my Friesian. The downside is that it does smell like bacon grease and is oily..but it works wonders for hair growth and has numerous other uses such as scratches, sweet itch and mane/tail rubbing. ”
Review by: MK
Seaweed Supplement
Generic seaweed based feed supplement for coat conditioning and hair growth.
5 stars, 1st hand experience
“I have used seaweed for two weeks now after someone tried it for hair growth and coat conditioning. Not that my mare needed coat conditioning, but needed hair growth, very thin mane due to rubbing, and oh my goodness, with two weeks of using it her mane and tail have got thicker. I also used it on my little hackney pony who has always had this tail and the difference is incredible. I would really recommened it. Great stuff.”
Review by: kelly
Skin Treatments
Eloe Skin Oil
Bottled topical treatment, made from, “a blend of mixed tocopherals (Vitamin E), aloe vera, and Safflower oil” for “softening and healing skin, reducing scar tissue, and encouraging hair regrowth.” Made by Synergy Oils.
5 stars, 1st hand experience
“This oil is a blend of mixed tocopherals (Vitamin E), aloe vera, and Safflower oil that is meant for “softening and healing skin, reducing scar tissue, and encouraging hair regrowth” and it works great!! I love this stuff! It works FAST to encourage my Friesians skin to regenerate after any wound…skin stays dark, hair grows quickly and black! This would be a valuable product for show horses.”
Review by: H.Marie
Shapley’s Mane Tail Groom (M-T-G)
– See Hair Care
Saddles
Fryso
Breed-specific Friesian saddle made by Tweespan of the Netherlands.
“…We have opted to use the existing centuries-old English knowledge and expertise in combination with our experience and knowledge of the anatomy of the Frisian horse. This has resulted in a saddle that offers much comfort to the rider as well as to the horse, the Fryso® saddle. What is unique in the case of the Fryso® saddle is that the saddle is made from start to finish by the same saddle maker. This means that all of the customer’s wishes can be incorporated into the saddle.
The Fryso® saddle has extra-wide hand-stuffed panels. The panels are stuffed with 100% natural wool. These panels are anatomically shaped, allowing them to properly fit the back of the horse. These well-shaped panels distribute the weight of the rider optimally over the horse saddle. This benefits the back of the horse. The horse has to devote as little effort as possible in carrying its load. Specially designed knee rolls ensure that the legs maintain their proper position. This allows the rider to better absorb the movements of the horse.”